DOHA, Qatar (April 7) – Lamecha Girma, the world indoor 3000m record holder, will make his outdoor 3000m flat debut at the Doha Meeting on 5 May, competing against a strong field that includes five global title winners at the Wanda Diamond League opener.
What Record Did Lamecha Girma Break and What Was His Time?
The Ethiopian athlete set a new 3000m world indoor record of 7:23.81 in Lievin earlier this year, beating the previous record that had stood for 25 years. With this time, only two men in history have gone faster outdoors – Daniel Komen and Hicham El Guerrouj. Read more: The Best of the Best: Stars set to clash in women’s Pole Vault at Doha Diamond League Meet 2023
Girma, a two-time world steeplechase silver medalist and Olympic athlete, will face fierce competition at the Doha Meeting, including world and Olympic steeplechase champion Soufiane El Bakkali, who has remained undefeated since September 2021.
“This is a big year for me as I prepare to defend my world title in Budapest, and I want to get it off to a good start,” said El Bakkali. “By racing against such a strong field in this opening meeting of the Wanda Diamond League, I will see how much work I still have to do.”
Girma’s opponents also include Selemon Barega, the Ethiopian Olympic 10,000m champion, Timothy Cheruiyot, the Kenyan 2019 world 1500m champion, Yomif Kejelcha, the Ethiopian two-time world indoor 3000m champion, Ishmael Kipkirui, the Kenyan world U20 cross-country champion, and Oscar Chelimo, the Ugandan world 5000m bronze medalist.
